I am looking for a coilover that I want to use on the track, but that can also be adjusted higher than the stock ride height for the winter season. Does anyone have any experience with different types of coilover systems with these traits i'm looking for?

 

LOL...Second 2 None brings me back to basic training.. . Anyways, there are so many threads on the different types of coilovers that Im getting tired of looking at them. I would do a search. You'll learn more that way. Everyone is gonna chime in with something different. Me personally...I have Bilstein PSS9's.

 

You probably don't need to go with higher than stock ride height because of other solutions available unless you already have winter wheels and tires that you must use (or you can sell them).

For the winter you have the option of using 15" or more likely 16" wheels (to be large enough to clear JCW sized front brakes) and narrow winter tires. You can deliberately pick a size that runs a little less than stock tire diameter of about 24.3". This will give you more clearance without having to go higher than stock height. You can go a little less on tire diameter without having to worry about lowering your MINI's ground clearance.

Note that everytime you change ride height you will change suspension alignment unless you mark exactly where the summer and winter toe and shocks should be based on measuring both at an alignment shop. It can be a little hassle unless you've done it before. If you make an error in toe setting you can wear out your tires especially too much toe out in the front. If you make camber wrong your handling will not be as good. Most owners of coilovers will also make use of ride height adjustments to allow for corner balancing and that would be completely disturbed by changing ride height.

To get additional clearance in the front it's common that adding adjustable front camber plates lifts the height a little less than about 1/2". Normally this is not really what we look for but in your case you'd be OK.

Anyway if tire clearance is what you want and you need both for winter and for track use then check around with vendors and ask about highest ride height. I think that none of the coilovers will be ideally suited for that task but some will allow for close to stock ride height. If they tell you that your ride height will drop at least about 1/2" with coilovers then your option is to compromise and add shocks like Koni Yellows using stock springs or Koni FSD with stock springs. How experienced are you at track? If just starting then the shocks might do the trick if you add a few other suspension upgrades-

Front camber plates to allow for more front negative camber up to the limits of your suspension parts likely about -2.0 degrees but more if you can, usually you hit the shocks.

Rear lower control arms- allows for full adjustment of rear negative camber, shoot for about 1 degree less negative than the front or about -1.2 degrees.

Front toe setting of 1/16" toe out and rear setting of 1/16" toe in. This will work for track and street driving. Any change of ride height will change toe settings unless you mark them.

Adjustable rear swaybar, 19mm for MC and 22mm for MCS or even an H sport Competition 25mm bar for the MCS, just use the softest setting and adjust.

Koni yellow shocks can be adjusted front and rear for track, adjust and leave them alone. Koni FSD will adjust for your driving needs passively.

It is a compromise but then you'd get the full wheel clearance for the winter and you'd do better on the track due to better alignment which allows for better use of your track tires.

What were you planning to use in the winter and on the track for wheels and tires?

 

Im also in the early stages of looking for a set of coilovers. I also want the ability to keep te ride height up. Ive talked to a few people about Megans. Most seem to really like them and they do have the ability to get up to stock height and I believe a bit more. Plus they also come with built in camber plates and you can get them for under a grand on ebay.

 

Our Cross/JIC coilover system will do this

 

indeed

 

I was waiting for you to show up with that "4 wheeler" picture

 

who says it doesn't snow in VA? That was two months ago....November (I had just shoveled the driveway for the pic....we got another couple inches after)

 

I looked at the cross /JIC suspensions at SEMA, and I like them alot. I seek the ability for increasing ride height because of the snowy traveling I do. I also go to many track events throughout the warmer months, so I was really looking for responses from people who have had multiple suspension setups over the years, and could tell me these are good/these suck etc. Thanks for the responses.
Is it possible that anyone can comment on the durability and quality of Megan racings coilovers, or is it a matter of getting what you pay for?

 

Send "Meb" a PM he has done alot of work with the Megans he has or had.

 

You can do this with our AST coilovers, too.

The huge beating is going to come in terms of $ for changing ride heights, re-cornerweighting and re-aligning 2x a year...

 

I'm only doing it once a year...in the spring when the expensive rubber goes back on. cheap A/S tires for the winter = no care about the corner weight and alignment. The local MINI dealer charges $200 for an alignment, local race shops charge $150 and up, so, it costs me less for tires than for alignments

 

I've been researching this for a long time. I guess I could go into every twist and turn of it, but of two of the products in this thread, the Cross and the AST, I've found that the Cross is more of a "touring" system whereas the AST can suit you better for the track events. I don't have either; this is just what I've surmised by speaking with people and reading about the products. Let us know which way you go and how it works. The ASTs are on my list, so hopefully sometime this spring for me!

mb

 

I have my Cross on full soft with minimal preload and it's quite smooth....'touring' is ok with me as the ride is more controlled than stock and I have a 4 month old who rides shotgun (well, facing the other way in the backseat )

 

Oh, yea, no negativity meant by "touring," just a different style than what the OP seems to be looking for.

mb

 

not necessarily. Jan has shown the Cross to be quite capable at the track. It's all in how you set it up...having the ability to dial things in to make the car predictable with huge levels of grip is what makes a car fast, not how stiff it rides.

Progress has shown how the A-Spec RSX doesn't handle as well as their own version of springs for the RSX as Acura wanted a stiffer spring (Progress did the R&D for them). They did a shootout on the track and the stiffer A-Spec was slower, all other things the same.

 

speaking with who? Don?

 

Thanks for the feedback. I have some time to research, but I predict I will go with JIC cross.

 

Rabble-rouser!

mb

 

Would you recommend them? I've run H&R Coil Overs the last three seasons, and am about due for some chassis work. I would favor autox performance as the top priority, and am accustomed to dodging the bumps on the street.

Do you find the shock adjustability helpful? Is the range from soft to hard very evident?

Thanks very kindly.

Charlie